About a year ago, while researching for How the Red Sox Explain New England I commented to former Expo Bill “Spaceman” Lee that lefties could pitch until they are 50. To which he replied, “Yeah, if you are lefty you can pitch until you are 50 unless you are Bill Lee.” At age 36, Bruce Chen is hoping that adage is true. This past weekend, Chen appeared in his 368th game. It should be noted 15 came as a member of the 2002 Montreal Expos. The Panamanian started 91 games for the Kansas City Royals from 2009 to 2012, but has appeared only out of the bullpen this season. Over fifteen seasons, Chen has a 74-72 record…that 3-0 record out of the pen so far this season vaulted him back over the .500 mark. The former Expos has two blown saves and two holds on the season, as the once again hapless Royals do their best to keep Ned Yost employed. Along with the Expos and Royals, Chen has also played for the Braves, Phillies, Mets, Reds, Astros, Red Sox, Orioles, and Rangers. Watch out Octavio Dotel!

Ex-Montreal Expos and Error Card Legend Pascual Perez was killed during a home invasion on November 1st in the Dominican Republic. The one-time all-star accumulated a 67-68 career record during an 11-year career mostly spent in the National League. Perez played for the Expos from 1987-89, where he went 28-21 with 8 CG’s and two shutouts. Pérez threw a five-inning rain-shortened no-hitter against the Phillies on September 24, 1988. It was the first no-hitter in Veterans Stadium history. Pérez allowed one walk, and another Phillies baserunner reached on an error. Umpire Harry Wendelstedt waved off the game after a 90-minute rain delay after the game was stopped by rain with one out in the top of the sixth. This game was later taken out of the record books as a no-hitter. Two of his brothers were also major leaguers, mayor of San Gregorio de Nigua Melido Perez & Carlos Perez. Pascual Perez gained notoriety within the baseball card circles with his 1982 TOPPS error card currently valued at $40.00 in the most recent issue of Beckett Baseball.

Former Expos battery mates Livan Hernandez and Brian Schneider hung around for one more season each. Schneider appeared in 98 games for the Philadelphia Phillies batting .225 with two home runs while serving as a back up for all-star Carlos Ruiz. Livan Hernandez started the season with the Atlanta Braves, but the former all-star and World Series MVP moved onto the Milwaukee Brewers and went 3-0. The three victories pushed his all-time mark to 178-177 over 17 seasons with nine teams.

Though Lee Arthur Smith’s tenure in Montreal was short, his impact on the history of the Expos can’t be denied. The final stop of a historic career in 1997, Smith joined a Expos bullpen that featured current prisoner Ugueth Urbina along with an assortment of lesser known bullpen arms. His presence on the team brought an air of greatness with 473 saves already on his resume. In 25 games Smith racked up 5 saves with a less than stellar ERA of 5.82. With a team going nowhere, Lee knew it was time to hang up his spikes and did so as the all time saves leader. Now some might say he was hanging on for too long and brought nothing to the Expos, lets not forget other former greats who made Montreal a stop on their farewell tour such as Gary Carter, Graig Nettles, Pete Rose and one time prisoner Ron LeFlore. In a career that should be recognized in Cooperstown, Lee Smith made the most of his time in Canada and for that the Expos organization owe him a debt of gratitude.

Last month, Expos shortstop Orlando Cabrera (1997-2004) hung up his cleats. While the O-dog was never named to an all-star team he made a name for himself in his post-spos career as good luck charm for playoff bound teams. O.C. retires ranked tenth in Expos history with 877 hits, tenth in total bases (1333), and 8th in doubles (214). In 2001 he became the first Expos SS to earn a Rawlings Gold Glove. He followed that up by leading the N.L. in errors the following season with 29. In his final full season with Montreal, Cabrera led the team in doubles (47), RBI (80), and stolen bases (24). He was a two-time Expos player of the year (2001 & 2003), but in 2004 as Nomar Garciaparra watched Derek Jeter leap into the stands to make an overrated catch and the Red Sox came calling. A colossal three team trade was completed which sent Nomar to the Cubbies, O.C. and Dougie Alphabets to the Sox, and Brendan Harris and one of the Alex Gonzalezes to the Expos. Cabrera made all Bostonians forget about Nomah by batting .379 in the Bosox miraculous 2004 ALCS comeback. He parlayed this performance into a free agent deal with the Angels, for whom he played in the ’05 and ’07 playoffs. Cabrera had a 63-game on-base streak in 2006, which is among the top five streaks of all time. In 2007, he won his second gold glove, however in the off-season the Angels traded him to the White Sox for starter Jon Garland. During the next three seasons, Cabrera would appear in the playoffs for each team he played for: White Sox (2008), Twins (2009), & Reds (2010). In 2011 he joined the defending champs the San Francisco Giants, but alas the pairing would not result in a playoff appearance. In total O.C. appeared in 37 playoff games (none as an Expos) and he batted .228 with 18 RBI. According to baseball-reference his career totals compare to Tony Fernandez and Garry Templeton and that sounds about right.

After parting ways with free agent and potential Hall of Famer Vlad Guerrero , the Orioles seemed to be done with the Expos. However, they have recently signed 1b Nick Johnson to a minor league deal. Johnson last appeared in the majors in 2010 while batting .167 in 98 PA’s for the Yankees. The former 2004 Expos won’t be new to the Baltimore/Maryland area as he enjoyed arguably his best seasons in the nation’s capital upon moving there with the franchise in 2005 and 2006. Johnson is a career .209 playoff hitter in 76 PA’s with the ’02 and ’03 Yanks. With a career .409 OBP he appeared heading for stardom, but Johnson has been riddled with injuries and has yet to make an all-star appearance. Meanwhile, Guerrero continues to be bypassed by all A.L. teams in need of a DH.

Despite playing near .600 ball since the All-star break all the Toronto Blue Jays have to show for it is 4th place in the A.L. East. Last week, USA Today Sports Weekly did a cover piece on the Blue Jays re-arming and getting ready to be even more competitive in the next few seasons. Toronto is the fourth largest North American market and the city has supported the team when a winner is fielded. They are building on a national fan base with the Expos out of the picture. According to the article 17 Canadians have played for the Jays. Brett Lawrie, who came back to Canada in the Milwaukee trade for Shaun Marcum, is the latest to play in his home country. For a complete list on all 235 Canadian-born MLB players on baseball-reference click here.

While former Expos Bartolo Colon (2-1) & Bruce Chen (4-1) get set to square off in the upcoming Royals-Yankees series the baseball world weeps as one more Montreal Expos is released. The oft-traveled Bradley was let go by the punchless Seattle Mariners after batting .209 in parts of two seasons in 393 PA. Milton started in Montreal, but played with seven more teams. The most time he logged with any one team was 2+ seasons spent with the Tribe. While he started in the 2008 All-star game his career was marred by too many lows to warrant anyone taking a chance on him at this point. Among them were his fight with then-Indian & current Mariner manager Eric Wedge in 2004, a well documented meltdown with the Cubs, and an altercation with an ump that led to a torn ACL. The Dodgers acquired Andre Ethier for him when Bradley was shipped to the A’s. It’s only fitting that a day after Ethier’s 30 game hit streak ends so does Milton Bradley’s career.

The number of former Montreal Expos increased back to 25 when Bartolo Colon made the Yankees bullpen. While many thought the 2005 Cy Young Award winner outpitched Freddy Garcia, most Yankee fans were upset it wasn’t Cliff Lee in the rotation instead. Of course, you have to look back at Omar Minaya’s tenure as Expos GM for the first linkage of Colon and Lee. Minaya was the GM in ’02 for the ‘Spos when they were owned by MLB. They finished in 2nd with an 83-79 as Colon went 10-4 in split season with Expos and Indians (where he also went 10-4). However, in order to land Colon from the Tribe Minaya delivered them…wait for it…Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore, Lee Stevens, and Brandon Phillips. Lee, Phillips, and Sizemore never played for the Expos and Phillips fizzled as a member of the Tribe. One wonders if Minaya regrets the trade, but you have to figure he doesn’t based on his quote in NY Times this week saying he’d do Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez Mets contracts again.

Welcome to Jarry Park! Home of the Montreal Expos. Can I help you find your seats?

This week marks the 7th Opening Day that Montreal must suffer without the Expos. The Expos were so Amazin’ that they defeated the Mets in their first game ever and pitched a No-hitter in their 9th (the Mets have yet to throw a No-no). In honor of the 2nd most successful MLB team north of the border here is a list of Montreal Expos firsts courtesy of my copy of the 2001 Expos Media Guide.

First Game: Montreal Expos 11, N.Y. Mets 10 @ Shea Stadium 4/8/69

First Home Game: Montreal Expos 8, St. Louis Cardinals 7 4/14/69

First Hitter: Maury Wills struck out by Mudcat Grant

First Hit: Bob Bailey two-run double in the first

First Run: Gary Sutherland reached first on an error

First Home Run: Dan McGinn off of Tom Seaver in the 3rd

First Grand Slam: Mack Jones off Jack Fisher (Reds) 5/10/69

Winning Pitcher: Don Shaw in relief

Shutout & No-hitter: Bill Stoneman vs Phils 4/17/69

First winning season: 1979 (95-65)

First to go Yard in 'Spos History...the Immortal Bob Bailey

First .500 Month: July 1970 (15-15)

First Broadcaster: Dave Van Horne & Russ Taylor (CKGM)

First Topps Rookie All-Star: 3b Coco Laboy 1969

First N.L. Player of the Month: Gary Carter September 1980 (.360 Avg, 7 Hrs)

Former Expos Currently Playing Major League Baseball Philadelphia Phillies C Brian Schneider (2000-2004) Final Game August 23, 2012 San Francisco Giants SS Orlando Cabrera (1997-2004) Final Game September 23, 2011 New York Yankees OF Juan Rivera (2004) Final Game October 3, 2012 Baltimore Orioles 1b Nick Johnson (2004) Final Game June 27, ... Continue reading →